military command and numbers.

Wiskel

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I'm setting a story in a very fictional world so I don't have to play by real world rules, but I could use some thoughts on how accurate my ideas of military structure are.

My MC is a teddy bear in a country run by dolls where bears are a sort of ethnic minority and stigmatised. He needs to be a ranking officer. I'd like him to be a captain, but captains don't usually command any group less than a company of 75-250 men. (according to that font of all knowledge, Wikipedia)

For the majority of the story I'd like him to be in command of a smaller number of men, about 12 really, but this would seem to be the level of a section or patrol, and usually commanded by a coporal or staff sergeant.

My MC's company is going to be a small one composed only of people who aren't dolls. Probably about 120 bears in total.

My questions:

1. If you had a company of 120 commanded by a captain, what are the likely numbers and ranks of the other ranking bears?

2. Is it reasonable that a Captain might lead a small squad of 12 from his company on a mission that is expected to be largely ceremonial and where no hostility is expected? It's an escort duty of sorts so can't really be considered training.
- could he do this if he wanted to?
- might he be ordered to lead it himself if he didn't want to?..perhaps as a punishment

3. If you leave the regular army structure, and had a special ops unit of 7 men, is is reasonable that a captain might command that unit?

4. Wouldn't the real army be more fun if it had armed teddy bears in it?

Thanks for your help

Craig
 
RJK

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This is a diagram of the operational Units of the US Army. It should answer your question.
 
Gary

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Rank structure depends entirely on the mission. There is the one in the manual that is desirable and normal, and there is the one that works for the job at hand.

When I was part of a tactical missile launch crew, we had twelve members. The crew commander was a senior 1LT, Captain, or Major. He was the only officer, and the senior enlisted was a Master Sgt.

Later, our mission and equipment changed, which required many more crews, but the size of a crew was reduced to one officer, one NCO and two lower grade enlisted. Most of the officers were Captains. The only reason we needed an officer at all was because of the type of weapons we carried.

Your fictional organization is perfectly logical.
 

Noah Body

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M-TOEs are also varied dependent upon mission. An aviation company is going to have a different numerical value than an infantry company. And a cavalry troop would be slightly different than a company.

Alas, I think this is far too much information. :)
 
Richard White

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Wiskel said:
My questions:

1. If you had a company of 120 commanded by a captain, what are the likely numbers and ranks of the other ranking bears?

(You haven't stated whether or not this is modern or medieval fantasy . . . I'm giving modern stats. You can extrapolate a medieval unit from this.)


For a company of 120 teddy bears who're infantrymen, you'd be looking at 4 platoons of 30 bears each, commanded by a Lieutenant and a Platoon Sergeant. The thirty bears could be broken into 5 squads of six, each with a Staff Sergeant or a Sergeant as the Squad Leader, and possibly a corporal in each squad as a team leader/assistant squad leader. The rest would be grunts.

Four squads would be standard infantry, one squad might be a heavy weapons squad. Each squad would have a combat medic and a designated radio operator.

2. Is it reasonable that a Captain might lead a small squad of 12 from his company on a mission that is expected to be largely ceremonial and where no hostility is expected? It's an escort duty of sorts so can't really be considered training.
- could he do this if he wanted to?
- might he be ordered to lead it himself if he didn't want to?..perhaps as a punishment

It is unlikely that a company commander would personally lead a unit (Life is not like Star Trek), but for a ceremonial detail, yes it is possible, especially if they're supposed to be meeting a higher-ranking individual who would see being greeted by a LT or a SGT as an offense.


As a company commander, he can if he wants to, unless his superiors specifically deny it. (Everyone answers to someone in the military.)


His superior could order him to do it as punishment. Trying to humiliate someone into quitting is a time-honored military practice. *grin*

3. If you leave the regular army structure, and had a special ops unit of 7 men, is is reasonable that a captain might command that unit?

Special Ops team that small would probably not be led by a Captain. A larger operation, consisting of several teams might be depending on the sensitivity of the mission.

4. Wouldn't the real army be more fun if it had armed teddy bears in it?

Reminds me of the 2nd Tenchi Muyo movie (Daughter of Darkness) where the Teddy Bears suddenly sprouted blades from their chests and wanted "hugs".

Thanks for your help

Craig
Click to expand...

Hopefully this helps.
 
Chase

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An army captain led the small but important force to save Private Ryan.

As others have said, at times it's the mission and the skills of the leader involved more than his or her rank. I think you can reasonably tweak the situation to call for any rank you like.
 
RJK

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Saving Private Ryan was fiction. Aside from that, the assignment came from General Marshall, the Commanding General of the whole damn Army. It's a wonder he didn't have Eisenhower out looking for the guy.

Special units can have higher ranking officers in charge. Seal Teams usually have a Navy Lieutenant (=Army Captain) in charge. On a mission, they can be as few as 7 men, usually 12.
You can put any officer from Captain on down, in charge of any group of men up to platoon size, depending on the type of unit and the mission.

ETA: as long as we're talking fiction, The Dirty Dozen was commanded by a full bird Colonel.
 
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Chase

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RJK said:
ETA: as long as we're talking fiction, The Dirty Dozen was commanded by a full bird Colonel.
Click to expand...

Fictional John Reisman in The Dirty Dozen was a major. His former fictional commander and on-screen nemesis was Colonel Breed.
 
RJK

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The character played by Lee Marvin was a Major huh? well I'll be snookered. I thought I saw eagles on his collars.
 
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